Projectile.



hUNITED sfrafrns PATENT orrioi.

EMIL GATHMANN, OF NEW lYORK, N. Y.

PROJ' ECTILE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1e, 1911.

To all whom 'it fray concern:

.Be it known that I, EMIL GATHMANN, a c1t1zen of the United States,I residing in the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvey ments in Projectiles, of which the following is a specification.r

My invention relates to projectiles of the class known. as armor piercing shot` and shell in which a cap of relatively soft metal is applied to the'point of the projectile pro er.

4T e superiority'of capped projectilesv now well established and lit is well yknown that when the projectile strikes thelpliitethelatter is dished by the cap and it 'is im.;

portant that this dishing should be uniform or of approximately regular contour in order that the point 'of the projectile proper may not be defiectedsoas to enter the plate at an angle. It is also well known that where a cap' of the usual type is applied to a projectile the velocity thereof is somewhat impeded owing tothe resist-ance of the air encountered by the use of such caps. This objection has, however, been largely over-A come by providing the capped projectile with what is known as a contour or wind cap and to which is so formed and applied as to increase the penetrating power of the projectile during its trajectory between the gun and the targetwith a given initial velocity.

The objects of my invention are: First. To improve the yconstruction of the soft metal cap whereby it is caused to break or shatter with greater uniformity and. thus produce a more uniform dish in the armor to receive the pointed end of the projectile rotectthe point more fully during the initial penetration. Second: To combine with said soft metal cap a wind cap in such a manner that the contour ofthe projectile as'a whole may be most elicient without so reducing the strength of the soft cap as to impair its efficiency for effecting penetration of armor. Third. To so Acombinen conl tour cap withV a soft metal cap that thefori mer may reinforce the latterin aplane forward of the point of the projectile.

The accompanying drawing shows alongitudinal central section of the front portion of la projectile with my improvement aplied. p' rIfhe projectile A-.shown is of the shape nowj commonly employed, vits largest diame- Application led February 28, 1910. Serial No. 545,503.

ter being at w. The cap B, of relativelyl soft metal, is securely fastened to the front end of the projectile by a key b of wellig.

known construction or it may be attached' in any other suitable way. ThecapfB shown as being formed with a 4bore eX- tending from its front end or point inwardly to the point of theA projectile. The outer wall of this cap tapers correspondingly with the taper of the outer wall of the head of the projectile and it is formed with an an` nularrecess cl at its forward portion to receive reinforcing means D and the rear portion G of a contour cap C. Boththe parts lD and;C may be made of steel or other suit-' able;; jmaterial.: The contour cap C is con- :nected with the outer side walls of the front' :end of the softmetal cap B by means of:

'resistance to the splitting ofthe cap is mate rially increased and the'energy of the .impact of the mass of the projectile upon the immediate portion of the armor plate attacked is concentrated. The cap B and also the wind cap C are So constructed as to offer a minimum of resistance to the retardation of the projectile during its trajectory`V .between the gun and the target Vand a maximum resistance, compared withthe mass-of metal employed, lto shattering and uneven deformation as the pointv of `the projectile impacts with and enters the outer layerof *the targetj My vimprovements are especially intended for usein connection with projectiles where-- -in the head is formed by two or'more radii and in which the outer contour of they cap B and wind cap C are formed by radii greater v than the radii forming the contour of thel head of the projectile to which .the cap isY fitted. It is now established that 'in order toobtain a maximum efficiency of a capped" projectile, a certain percentage of the kinetic energy of the impacting mass should be transmitted to the target or armor plate by means of the -cap. lt has been demonstrated that the best ballistic results in attacking hard-faced armor platepare obtained by fitting the point ofra projectile with a soft 4metal cap of a weight approximating er 4er lV being the vweight of the uncapped projectile and the weights being expressed in pounds, and by making the frontal or impacting diameter ',of the cap of approximately 0.5 D, D representing the caliber or diameter of the projectile'.- This type of cap, although ballistically satisfactory in so far asarelating to the work done on the target, wasfound to retard the passage of the projectile considerably in itsv trajectory through the air, and forms oitl contour eaps'have been developed of a frusto-conical or pointed shape countered during the passage through the air. These forms have lessened the resistance of the projectile through thevair to a remarkable degree, insuring a Hatter and hence longer trajectory and higher remaining velocity for equal initial velocity and Iangles of departure.` The ballistic etliciency relating to the work done on the plate or target by the tapered or frusto-conical forms of caps, has, however, been greatly reduced, as the frontal diameter of the cap was lessened by the increase in thetaper shape thereof. The cap B, being constructed of soft steel, is instantly deformed upon impact With the hard face tof an armor plate. To-

slightly retard this deformation and make it of a more uniform character I employ a reinforcefor the cap which may be constructed as shown in my U. S. Patent No. 922,573 of May 9.5, 19,00, reissued July 12, 1910, No.

.13,132. The conical head of the projectile shown in the accompanying drawing has a contour described by radii equal to 2l; to four times the caliber of the major diameter of the projectile. The point which2 is integral with the head has a contour described by radii of O o-to 0.625 C,`the\caliber `or major diameter of the-projectile being indicated byvC in'each instance. The soft metal cap covers the point of the projectile, its outer contour-being preferably formed -by greaterradii than that forming thel head off' yfthe projectile. The reinforcing means are made to be flush with the outer cbntour of the 'soft met-al' cap and flush also with the wind cap,-so thaty no additional resistance is oe'red "to the passage of the projectile 'through the air by the reinforcing. means.

The location of the reinforcing means should be forward of or approximately in line with a plane assing through t he projectile at right anglles to its point as 1t 1s at this location that the cap should be retardd somelof the armor plate unbroken,

which much lessens the resistance enwhat in its deformation upon impact with the plate. W'hen the plate is dished or depressed and the cap has been deformed the point of the projectile enters the hard face and penetration is more readily accomplished. Vhen j no contour cap is used, that is, when a projectile is provided with an old type cylindri- `cal softI metal cap, the front end of this cap has commonl been' made of a diameter about one-'half that of the maximum dialneter of the projectile -in order to obtain-a large surface of impact against the armor plate for the purpose of forming a dish in the plate sutlicient to overcome its elastic limits and thus receive the hardened end of the projectile and cause the latter to enter the armor plate more readily. When, however, a-wind-cap is used, it is necessary to reduce'somewhat the diameter of the front end of t-he soft metal cap, primarily in order that the surface of the projectile as a whole may gradually taper from its largest diameter to tlie front end of the Wind cap, and secondly, some metal is usually displaced from the forward end of the soft metal cap, v

in order to make the attachment of the Wind cap without breaking the contour of the soft metal cap. l

By my improvements, while' the diameter of the'front end of the soft metal cap is somewhat reduced, it is also reinforced'to overcome the loss of material due to said reduction, and irregular spreading or shattering of the soft metal capwhen the projectile encounters the armor plate, is avoided more fully than if the material cut from the soft metal cap were not 'replaced or compensated for by a reinforcinof'means. The purpose of the central bore is to preventsidewise or irregular breaking Vof the soft metal cap, which would tend to make the projectile wabble and therefore enter the armor plate at an angle. .f

-I distinguish the soft metal cap, the function of whichis to assist the penetrating armor, from the wlnd cap, the function of which is to reduce atmospheric resistance during the flight of the'sprojectile, by calling the soft metal cap the primary cap and the wind cap the secondary capzf the combined caps forming what I term the -contour cap. or a composite contour-impact is also of truncated conical form, theouter conical surface of the secondary cap merging into or being approximately flush with the outer comcal Vsurface of the primary'cap,

Y thus forming the combined or composite contour-impact cap. Y The wind cap is made hollow .as usual but preferably as shwn has that portion encircling the-forward portion .of the *soft metal cap made thicker or heavlerthan lts rojeotile in forward side walls. Whether made thicker or'not the rear portion of the wind cap 'where it encircles the soft metal cap reinforces or strengthens the latter. I prefer, however, to make the rear portion Gr of the wind cap thicker as shown and I also prefer to employ the additionalareinforcing means D but where such means D are not usedthe recess d is suitably formed to receive Athe rear encirclin portion ofthe wind cap. I have describe -the best way now known to me of carrying out my invention but it is obvious that my improvements broadly considered may be embodied in projectiles differing in detail of construction from what I have illustrated.

I claim as my inventionj v1. A projectile, comprising a body portion having a. hardened tapered head and point,

atapered soft metal cap mounted upon said point, a hollow wind cap mounted upon the forward portion of the soft metal cap, and a reinforce located between the thin walls of the wind cap and the forward portion of the soft metal cap for the purpose specified.

2. A projectile comprising a body bearingv a hardened, tapered head and point, a hollow primary metal cap of truncated conical form mounted on and locked to the said projectile point, and which cap is reduced in diameter at its forward portion, and a hollow secondary or wind cap of truncated conical form having its rear #inner portion seated in the said reduced diameter of the forward outer portion of the primary cap, and having its outer conical surface approximately flush with the outer conicalV surface of the said primary cap, whereby the combined caps form a contour cap.

3. A projectile, comprising a body portion bearing a hardened tapered head and point,

a hollow primary truncated conically formed soft metal cap mounted on, extending over, and lockedv to the rear portion of the said projectile point, and which primary cap has an annular recess on its outer peripheral portion forward of the point of the projectile, and a secondary hollow wind cap of truncated conical form having a rear thickened portion seated'in the reduced diameter at the forward portion of the primary cap, said wind cap having its outer exposed sur- A face formed of approximately the same contoumand merging into the. outer exposed surface of the soft metal primary cap, whereby the two caps form a combined impact and 4 contour cap.

4. A projectile, comprising a body portion bearing a hardened tapered head and a point and a hollow primary metal cap of truncated conical form mounted upon the said projectile point, said primary cap having a recess on its outer, peripheral portion forward of the point of the projectile, and a hollow secondary cap or wind cap having its rearmost portion mounted within said recess and reinforcing the primary sott metal cap,

the outer or exposed surfaces of both the pril projectile point, the said primary cap having an annular recess on its outer peripheral portion forward of the point of the project-ile, and ahollow wind cap or secondary cap of truncated conical form having its rearmost portion mounted within said annular recess at the forward portion'of the primary cap and reinforcing the said primary cap in a plane forward of the point of th projectile, the combined caps forming a composite impact and contour cap.

6. `A projectile, comprising a body portion bearing a hardened tapered head and point and wherein the head and point are formed by two or more radii, a. ho'llow primary cap of truncated conical form mounted upon, extending over, and locked to the rear portion of said projectile point and having an outer contour formed by radii greater than the radii forming the head of the projectile. a hollow secondary or wind cap of truncated conical form inclosing the front and forward peripheral portion only of the primary cap and secured to'tlie said forward peripheral portion, the buter exposed surfaces of the primary cap and the wind cap and the head of the projectile forming an approximately similar contour, the two caps thus forming a combined contour and impact cap.

7. A projectile, comprising a body portion bearing a hardened tapered head and point, a hollow primary soft metal cap of truncated conical form mounted on and locked to the said projectile point, and

which cap has an annular reduction in diameter at its peripheral portion forward of the point of the projectile, and a secondary or wind cap the rear portion of `which is Seated in said reduced diameter at the forward portion of the primary cap, and which wind cap has its outer exposed surface merged into the contour of the outer exposed surface of the primary cap, thereby forming a contour cap.

8. A pointed armor piercing projectile in combination with a primary cup-shaped metal cap of truncated conical form attached thereto, and a secondary or wind cap of truncated conical form locked to the for- Award peripheral outer portion of the primary cap in a plane forward of the point of the projectile, both the primary cap and the secondary cap having outer exposed surfaces 'of approximately unbroken similar of the impact cap, the combined impact and wind cap forming a composite contour-mpact cap designed to reduce the resist-ance of the air during the trajectory of the'projectile without mpairing etiiciency for effecting penetration of armor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name. l L

EMIL GATHMANN.

contour, the combined caps forming a contour-impact cap and merging into the contour of the head of the projectile.

9. A projectile, comprising a body portion bearing a hardened tapered head and point, a hollow primary or impact cap of truncated conical form mounted on andA locked to the l said" projectile 'point and which cap is reduced in diameter at its peripheral portion i forward of the point of the projectile, and I Witnesses: a secondary or wind cap, the 'rear portion 1 ISABEL GATHMANN, of which is .seated in Said reduced diameter l MARK GATHMANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington, D. GJ.

ve cents each, by addressing they Commissioner of Patents, 

